The event raised more than $25,000 with most of those funds going to support PJ Library in Tidewater. PJ Library sends families free, high-quality Jewish storybooks each month.

 The tournament winner, Jon Horwitz, fended off Jason Hoffman at the final table to take first place.

 Many Nadiv members set up the room and managed the event all night (ending at 11 pm). Special thanks to the dealers who kept the table action moving and to Tom Edwards, JCC athletics director, for running a flawless tournament.

 A young professional men’s fundraising group through UJFT, Nadiv is open to men ages 22-50. Interested in joining? Contact Amy Zelenka at AZelenka@ujft.org.

 For many of us, it can feel like just another Jewish ritual quietly tucked between two major holidays. But this year, through Amy Lefcoe’s six-week class, On Our Way to Mt. Sinai, I realized something deeper: the journey itself is the point.

 Pessach is not only about freedom from Egypt. It is about asking ourselves a much harder question: What am I still a slave to?

 Maybe it is anger. Ego. Fear. The need to control outcomes. The need to always be right. Maybe it is judgment. Maybe it is the endless distractions that keep us far from who we want to become.

 The Omer invites us into a process of refinement. Not perfection — refinement.

 Week after week, we explored the idea that Judaism does not expect us to erase our difficult character traits. We are human beings. We were created with complexity. But we are also expected to work on ourselves constantly. In Judaism, personal growth is not self-help. It is spiritual work.

 One sentence from the class stayed with me: “We are not what our nature is.”

 That idea is both comforting and challenging. We may naturally lean toward impatience, arrogance, resentment, anxiety, or anger — but those traits do not define us. They are simply the material we were given to work with.

 And perhaps that is why the people in our lives are there, too.

 Sometimes the people who challenge us the most are also the people helping us grow the most. Judaism teaches that our relationships become mirrors for our character. They expose what still needs healing.

 One of the strongest discussions we had centered around anger. Amy Lefcoe referenced the plague of frogs in Egypt: it began with one frog, but every time it was hit, it multiplied. Anger works the same way. Once we start “hitting the frog,” it grows bigger and louder and harder to stop.

 And often, anger comes from ego — from unmet expectations, from feeling unseen, unheard, or not in control.

 Judaism offers another path: humility.

 Not humiliation. Not thinking less of ourselves. But recognizing that we are not the center of everything.

 One insight I loved was: “Don’t take pride; take pleasure.”

 We are not the creators of every success in our lives. We are simply “cashing the check” that God gave us the opportunity to receive. We are responsible for the effort. God is responsible for the outcome.

 That shift changes everything.

 Because once life becomes less about “me,” gratitude naturally enters the picture.

 And gratitude is one of Judaism’s greatest foundations.

 It begins every morning with Modeh Ani, thanking Hashem for returning our soul to us for another day. Gratitude appears throughout our prayers, our blessings, our traditions. We are constantly reminded to notice the good. To recognize that even difficult moments may contain opportunities for growth.

 Lefcoe spoke often about bitachon — trust in God. Not passive trust, but active trust. The understanding that we still pray, try, work, and show up… while also recognizing that not everything is ours to carry.

 We hold so much weight on our shoulders. But maybe part of spiritual growth is learning to put some of it down. 

None of this is easy.

But perhaps that is exactly what the journey to Mt. Sinai is supposed to teach.

 Receiving the Torah was never only about standing at the mountain once, thousands of years ago. It is about asking ourselves, every single year:

Who do I want to be when I arrive there?

More humble?

More grateful?

Less judgmental?

More trusting?

Closer to God?

Closer to the person I was meant to become?

The truth is, we are all still on our way to Mt. Sinai.

Still learning.

Still refining.

Still trying.

And maybe that is the holiest part of the journey.

For more information about classes offered by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Konikoff Center for Learning, visit JewishVA.org/KCL or contact Sierra Lautman at SLautman@ujft.org.

Those who would like to join BeAR in the upcoming 2026/27 school year should contact Robin Ford at 757-321-2304 or rford@ujft.org.

For more information on upcoming Israel-related programs, visit JewishVA.org or contact Nofar Trem at NTrem@UJFT.org. Save the date for next year’s Yom Ha’Atzmaut gathering on Sunday, May 16, 2027.

For more information on upcoming Israel-related programs, visit JewishVA.org or contact Nofar Trem at NTrem@UJFT.org.

For more information about Jewish Family Service of Tidewater or to support its mission, visit JFSHamptonroads.org. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, contact Julie Kievit, Jewish Community Relations manager, at jkievit@jfshamptonroads.org.

 Rush Week is when BBYO chapters host events that are targeted towards new members, in an attempt to attract more people to get involved and join. 

 On Wednesday, March 18, both chapters held their respective programs, with Simcha hosting Pizza, PJ’s, and Productivity night and OD’s blue-collar night with yard games. 

 “It was a great atmosphere, even though no one really got all that much work done,” says Leah Steerman, a Simcha board member, when recounting the Pizza, PJ’s, and Productivity program. 

 Tidewater BBYO also attended the Norfolk Admirals game on March 22 to finish the week. The Virginia Council presidents from Richmond, Nica Shapovalova and Kaden Staffenberg, joined the local chapters at the game. The group watched three thrilling periods before the game went into overtime, with the Admirals coming out on top versus the Greensboro Gargoyles with a final score of 4-3. 

 With these programs completed, both chapters are looking forward to finishing the term out strong and are anticipating the upcoming spring regional convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.  

 That theme shaped the evening’s program, which wove together personal testimony, education, and ritual. Through the voices of clergy, students, and educators, and the participation of descendants who serve as living links between past and future, the commemoration demonstrated how Holocaust memory is carried forward and given meaning in the present.

 Dr. Milton Zweig, the evening’s guest speaker, brought this theme to life through the story of his mother’s family, sharing their experiences during the Holocaust and the refuge they ultimately found in Colombia. Zweig spoke about how their survival often depended on human connection and compassion. His remarks emphasized that remembrance carries an ethical dimension. 

 Education remained a central focus of the event with the presentation of awards to student honorees connected to the Elie Wiesel Writing and Visual Arts Competition. Student winners were recognized for their thoughtful engagement with Holocaust history and memory, demonstrating how young people continue to grapple with both the weight of the past and its relevance today.

 Teachers Kindra Mosher and Lisa Kilczewski were also recognized for their dedication to Holocaust education, highlighting the critical role educators play in fostering historical understanding, critical thinking, and empathy. Their work was acknowledged as essential to ensuring that Holocaust education remains rigorous, meaningful, and responsive to the challenges of the present moment. 

 One of the most moving moments of the program was the lighting of six memorial candles by descendants of Holocaust survivors. Stepping forward as representatives of their families and generations, they expressed remembrance through ritual – embodying the continuity of memory as something carried, shared, and sustained over time.

 The evening concluded with a moment of reflection and intention. As attendees quietly exited, they were offered yahrzeit candles to light at home. 

Elka Mednick is director of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Holocaust Commission. 

 Following the meeting, attendees were treated to a private tour of Architects of Being: Louise Nevelson and Esphyr Slobodkina, led by Harry Graber, museum docent and former UJFT CEO. 

 Alicia London Friedman, Women’s Philanthropy chair, opened the program by welcoming the organization’s newest members: Rebecca Auerbach, Amy Gladstein, Ellen Rosenblum, Nicole Kushner, Allison Cooper, Laura Goldstein, Laura Wingett, and Nikki Shapiro Roth. “Mazel tov to all—we are so excited to have you with us,” she said.

 Friedman shared a Campaign update highlighting the strength of the community’s giving. “As of today,” she said, “The UJFT Campaign has reached $5.1 million from nearly 1,000 donors, with the Women’s Division contributing $1.5 million from 414 donors.” 

 “We could not do this without you,” she said. Thanking everyone for their dedication and generosity, Friedman emphasized the collective impact of the Women’s leadership, noting that this year has been meaningful and successful. “Women’s Philanthropy is strong and inspiring because of each of you—your leadership, generosity, and commitment.”

 The private tour engaged participants with the work of Nevelson and Slobodkina – two Jewish women artists – which deepened a shared sense of pride and community.